Safety stable device



(No Model.) v I B. J. GALLAGHER, Jr. SAFETY STABLE DEVICE.

No. 530,617. v Patented Dec.11,"1894.

Witnesses:

THE NORRIS PT'Efis co, Pubic-union WASHINGTON, n. c.

. each stall with a latching device,

ITED. STATES A ENT OFFICE- EDWARD J. GALLAGHER, JR.,0 PH LADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

.SAFETYQSTABLE DEVICE.

SPECIFICA'IIQK forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,617, dated December 11, 1894 Application filed April 2, 1894. 1 Serial No. 506-049. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. .GALLA- GHER, J12, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Safety Stable Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference tojstable appliances, and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Myimprovements'have special reference to means for automatically'unhitching a series of horses in their stalls from a single point, preferably outside of the buildinggand controlled by suitable hand operated devices.

. My. improvements further contemplate in connection with the unhitching devices, of suitable door operating devices adapted to automatically open the door or doors of the stable simultaneously with the liberation of the horses. I

In addition to the foregoing featuresof my improvement, I arrange ineach stall water spraying devices which are automatically caused to spray water in the direction of the horses simultaneously with their liberation theobject of which is to force the horses out ing to the door, in case of fire or other immediate danger. I My improvements are especially designed for the safety of horses in cases of fire,but it is evident that either in part or in.whole it may be employed in liberating the horses under other conditions.

The spraying of water in the face of the horses is a decided and harmless wayof causing them to haokout of the stalls and into a position to find their escape from the building. Furthermore the spraying of the water in the manner described acts as a means for extin:

guishing theflames which may be reached by the spraying water. I n

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide horse may be secured by its halter in proper position in its stall, and in conjunction with the said latching device, I provide a mechanism common to all of the latching devices for simultaneously liberating all of the horses, the said mechanism extending to one point,

may be sprayed in their faces and whereby a k door is unlatched and thrown open simultaneously or substantially so with the liberation of the horses.

Furthermore, in connection with the foregoing devices I provide the building with" water pipes terminating in a spraying nozzle within each stall, and a valve adapted to be operated automatically by the devices for liberating the horses, so that simultaneously with the liberation of the horses the water thereby drive them from their stalls.

I 'It will be evident that the details of con-. struction might be greatly varied in accomsplishingthese results, and therefore the api paratus hereinafter described is simply given as a suitable construction adapted for the proper carrying out of my invention.

of the stalls into the main passage-way lead 1 Referring to the accompanyingdrawings: Figure 1 is a sectional plan view on line a,'w

"of Fig. 2 of a stableembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross section of same on line y y of Figzl. Fig.3 is a plan view of the latching devices ineaoh stall.

v n Fig. .4 is a front elevation of same. Fig. 5 is a cross section of same on line 2 -2 of Fig.4. Fig. 6

is a cross section on line ww of Fig. 1 showing the means for operating the water valve;

and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the water valve and its connections.

A is the building forming the stable and is provided with a series of stalls B with a passageway B into which the several stalls open.

The passageway Bi terminates at some suitable place in a door 0 hung upon rollers or otherwise formed so as to be readily opened. Arranged along the wall at the head end of the stalls is a reciprocating rod D carried in ICO suitable bearings 01 attached to the wall. This rod may extend to a distant point, preferably outside of the building, and has its end screw threaded and received in a nut formed in the hub of a hand wheel G. The hand wheel Gis held in a suitable bearing E secured to the outside of the building. By turning the hand wheel the rod D may be reciprocated. To prevent manipulation with the hand wheel, exceptin g in case of necessity, a case eis arranged about it and may have a front plate T of glass which may be broken to secure access to the hand wheel. In each of the stalls there are two bearings d, and one of these bearings is provided with an overhanging projection or hook L directed toward the other bearing. Secured to the shaft intermediate of the bearings is a casting H which has pivoted to it at'i a latch I having a latching projection 1 adapted to fit between the overhanging projection or hook L and the rod D as clearly shown in Fig. 3 to prevent a halter ring M placed about the overhanging projection or hook L from escaping. The latch I may be turned in a vertical position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 or thrown to a horizontal position as indicated in full lines in this figure. When thrown in the latter position the ring M is looked upon the projection L, and the latch I is held between a lug h on the casting H and a spring K, which latter is formed on the casting H and is pressed outward by a spring J, and provided with a pin with which to depress it when it is desired to liberate the latch to release the ring M.

W is a clearing finger or plate secured firmly to the rod D and movable with it, and has a slotted end which works on the projection or hook L. This part W performs the dual function of preventing the rod D from turning and at the same time acting asa clearing finger for pushing the ring M olf the hook or projection L when the rod D is moved to the left. It is quite evident that the details of this latching mechanism might be modified or formed in a variety of ways, but the construction here shown is excellently adapted to the purpose and discloses the essential features of the structure comprehended by my improvement.

There is a latching device of the character above described in each one of the stalls, and it is evident that by turning the hand wheel G the rod D may be moved so as to withdrawthe ends I of the latches I from under the projections or hooks L, and simultaneously therewith the fingers or parts W push the halter rings M ofi the said projections. This act releases every horse in all of the stalls so that they are free to move backward into the passageway B and toward the door 0 when open.

The door 0 may be constructed in any suitable manner and preferably so that it opens automatically upon liberating the horses. In the construction shown, which is given as an example of how the door may be operated, the door is hung upon suitable guideways by means of rollers, and may be drawn back by a weight Q acting through a cable or cord q. Normally the weight Q rests upon a pivoted support R which support is locked in a horizontal position by an arm '1 on the reciprocating rod D. When the said arm T is moved by the rod D it allows the pivoted support R to fall, and permits the weight Q to pull the door open. The door may be normally locked by a hand latch V working in a pivoted keeper U. The keeper is connected by a cord 8 with a weight Salsoresting upon the pivoted support R. Normally the lock V holds the door from being opened. By pulling the latch or look V down the door may be opened or closed-in theusual manner. If however, the door be locked, and the support R dropped, the weight S instantly pulls up the keeper U unlocking the door G and the weight Q at the same time pulls the door open. In this manner it is evident that upon liberating the horses a free passage is provided for them whereby they may escape from the building in case of fire or other trouble.

It is well known that horses usually require positive means to remove them from the stalls even when unhitched. To insure their backing out of the stalls I provide a water pipe N extending through the stalls parallel to the shaft or bar D and provided in each stall with a sprinkler nozzle n. At some convenient place in the said pipe N, I provide a suitable valve 0 having a pivoted arm P connecting with the reciprocating rod or shaft D. It is evidentthat upon shifting the rod D the valve 0 will be operated to permit the flow of cold water through the pipe N and nozzles n, spraying it suddenly into the faces of the horses. The sudden action and chilling effect will cause the horses to quickly back out of the stable. The spraying of water upon the horses is a harmless and yet efiective way of causing them to move. Furthermore, it will soak them so that in case of coming in contact with flame their hair will not be so readily singed. Furthermore the spraying of the water in each stall acts in a material measure to prevent the spread of the fire.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the single movement of the hand wheel G simultaneously liberates the horses, turns water into their faces to drive them from their stalls, and opens the main door to the stable to permit their escape. It is evident that the particular devices might be greatly modified without departing from the principles of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the details of construction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a safety device for a stable, the combination with a latch device for attaching a horse in the stall, an automatically opening door, means to cause the door to open automatically when permitted to operate, a trip to hold the means for opening the door out of action, a lock to hold the door closed, alatch releasing rod for operating the latch device, and operative connections between the latch releasing rod and the door lock and trip,

whereby upon the operation of the latch releasing devices the door will first be unlocked and then opened automatically.

2. In a safety device for stables, the combination of a latch device for attaching a horse in a stall, at door, a weight for automatically opening the door, a lock for holding the door closed, a weight for automatically operating the lock to release the door, a latch releasing rod for operating the latch device to release the horse, and a support for the door and door lock weights, controlled by the latch releasing rod, whereby upon the operation of the rod to release the horse the door will be unlocked and automatically opened by the release of the Said operating weights.

3. A safety device for stables consisting of the stationary hook L adapted to enter a halter ring, a swinging latch I having a ring retaining projection l and amovable bar carrying the latch I. t

a 4. A safety device for stables consisting of the stationary hook L adapted to enter a halter ring, a swinging latch I having a ring retaining projection I and a movable bar carrying the latch I, and a lock for locking the swinging latch I against movement on its point of support.

5. A safety device for stables consisting of the stationary hook L adapted to enter a halter ring, a swinging latch I having a ring retaining projection I, a movable bar carrying the latch I, and the clearing finger W carried by the movable bar. I

' 6. A latch device for a stable stall consisting of a ring retaining hook adapted to receive a halter ring, a clearing sleeve engaging the ring retaining hook and adapted to move the halter ring from the hook, a movable bar carrying one of the said parts and adapted to move it with reference to the other to detach the ring from the hook, a movable latch or ring detaining piece carried by the bar adapted to close the end of the hook and prevent the ring being detached therefrom except when the bar is moved, but having a movement independent. of clearing sleeve and hook to permit the ring to be attached to the hook or detached from it without operating the bar, and an independent lock to lock the latch or retaining piece closed.

, 7. A latch device for stables consisting of a a movable latch actuating bar, a stationary ring retaining hook, a clearing sleeve carried by the bar and movablewith it, and a latch carried by bar and movable with it, adapted to close the end of the retaining hook and prevent the ring becoming accidentally detached therefrom, but also having an independent movement so that, it may be opened to permit the hook to be placed on the ring or detached therefrom without operating either the bar or clearing sleeve. H

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD J.

Witnesses: t

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, WM. L. EVANS.

GALLAGHER, JR. 

